gibbs



H. H. GIBBS.

' ROAD CART.

(No Model.)

No. 408,989. Patented 'Au-g. 18, 1889.

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N. PETERS. pliawmhempw. wmhingmn, nc.

' To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIIRAM. H. emes, on INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ROAD-CART.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,969, dated August13, 14889.

Application letl January 18, 1889. Serial No. 296,781. (No model.)

Be it known that I, HIRAM II. GIBBs, of Indianapolis, county of Marion,and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Adjustable and Flexible Foot-Rests for Road-Carts; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which likeletters refer to like parts.

My invention relates to the construction of foot-rests for road-carts;and it consists in making the foot-rest flexible and adjustable, so thatit can be easily drawn up out of the way of the driver when he desiresto convert the road-cart into a trotting-sulky, as will be understoodfrom the following description.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of my device in place, thedotted lines indicating the position of the straps when the restisbrought up beneath the seat out of the way. Fig. 2 is a detail view ofone of the fastenings for locking the side straps when drawn up. Fig. Sis a front view of the eye of the same. Fig. 4 is a rear view of aroad-cart or sulky, showing the foot-rest suspended by the straps. Fig.5 is a detail view of the buckle which serves as a fastening for thecentral strap.

Fig. G is a side view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a front view of the rollerfor the side straps. Fig. S is an end view of the same. Fig. 9 is anedge view of one form of my hook formed integral with the ear. Fig. l0isa rear end view of the same. Fig. ll is a front view of the centralear with the tongue formed integral therewith. Fig. 12 is a side view ofthe same. Figs. l and 4: are drawn on a smaller scale than the otherfigures.

In detail, f is a foot-rest,its sides composed of straps 1 '1, which arefastened to the front end around rollers yr, mounted in a clip connectedto the cross-bar c. The rear end of these straps pass through eyes e,fastened bcneath the seat, these preferably having projections or hooks71., over which the ends of the strap pass.

2 is a central strap, its forward end connected to the rear slat of thefoot-rest, its upper end passing through the guide e', fastened beneaththe seat s centrally, and having straps are all fastened through eyes orguides y directly beneath the drivers seat and their ends are withineasy reach of his hand.

If, now, while the device is in the position shown in the'full lines inFig. l the driver desires to speed his horse, he takes hold of thecentral strap 2 and pulling upon it he can draw the foot-rest up in theposition shown in the dotted lines in Fig. l, and the end of this strapwill pass down' through the central guide e and may be hooked at thedesired point over the tongue t, or he may make the same adjustment bydrawing up the side straps l l and fastening them on the hooks h in asimilar manner. While this adjustment is going on the drivers feet canrest upon the cross-bar of the shaft or stirrups, and when completed thefoot-rest will be completely out of the way of his own feet, as well asout of the way of the horses hind feet, for the horse when trottingrapidly reaches backward with its hind feet a much greater distance thanwhen going at a less speed, and an ordinary road-cart having a rigidfoot-rest is not adapt* ed to speeding horses, as this foot-rest hangsdown directly in the way of the horses feet when traveling fast.

My device practically makes the ordinary road-cart convertible into aracing-sulky by making the foot-rest ilexible and adjustable in theInanner herein described.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the hook and eye are shown in separate pieces attachedby screws to the under side of the bar; but I preferably make them inthe manner shown in Figs. 9, 10,1 l, and lf2, in which the eye and hookare formed integral with the common shank, and the strap being slippedthrough the eye is hooked over the proj ection or tangent h, securing itin place, and the device thus constructed can be IOO attached by asingle screw to the under side of the bar, and the eye which serves as aguide for the strap and the projection f0r1ning the hook or tongue arealways in line and the strap is easily fastened or loosened fromengagement with the hook, and When fastened or loosened will be heldperfectly tight.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to seenre by Letters Patent,is the following, to wit:

l. A foldable foot-rest for road-carts, its sides Composed of flexiblebands or straps, slats secured aeross and fastened to the saine, theforward end of these straps secured near or to the cross-bar, the rearend adjustably fastened beneath the drivers seat, with means forsecuring,` the saine at any desired height, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. An adjustable and flexible foot-rest for road-Carts, comprising theside straps l. l, eentral strap 2, connected by erossslats, the

front ends of the side straps Connected tothe crossbar, and the forwardend of the central strap Connected to the footrest,the rear ends of allthese straps connected beneath the seat Within easy reaeh of the drivershands, with means for adjusting and securing' sueh straps at any desiredheight,substantially as shown and described.

In combination with a road-cart, the flexible and foldable foot-rest forthe driver, eo1n posed of two or more iiexible straps, their for wardends adjustably connected at or near the shaft cross-bar, their oppositeends eonnected at the sides or beneath the drivers seat, a series ofslats riveted to such strap and forming a rest for the feet, the Wholeadapted to be drawn up beneath the seat, out of the Way of the driversfeet, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 'lith day ofJanuary, 1880.

IIIRAM II. (HUBS.

Witnesses:

C. P. JAeons, E. ll. GRIFriTH.

